Material for fabrication of a kite or a wing and a kite or wing incorporating the material

Abstract

A lightweight stretch resistant laminated material has a layer of thin flexible film laminated to a layer of stretch resistant reinforcing material. A kite or wing, which is known in the art to comprises a plurality of assembled panels, can have at least one such panel made from the lightweight stretch resistant laminated material.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The current invention relates to kites and to flying wings, and more particularly to materials for fabrication of a kite and to kites or wings incorporating the material.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Kitesurfing is an extreme water, or snow, sport which utilizes a large size traction kite to pull a board rider. In most cases the kite has an inflatable frame structure to maintain its aerodynamic shape. In addition this inflatable structure provides for floatation and re-launching since water is the primary environment of kitesurfing. The sport is roughly 20 years old and evolved from “buggy racing” which is a sport that utilizes a ram air type kite to pull a 3 wheeled buggy along beaches. The re-launching of ram air kites is nearly impossible due to the fact that they collapse upon impact with the ground. The inflatable structure was developed to keep the kites in a shape close to their intended flying shape and to provide a means of easy re-launch once...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024]Preferably, portions or panels of the kite or wing bearing a load or stress are reinforced with a woven nylon or polyester fabric attached to the laminated material.

Problems solved by technology

The re-launching of ram air kites is nearly impossible due to the fact that they collapse upon impact with the ground.

The first disadvantage is that since these materials are woven the sufferer from elongation or stretching.

Elongation makes designing and maintaining the aerodynamic properties of a kite difficult and limits the performance actually obtainable from a particular aerodynamic shape than if the kite were made from more stable materials.

This provides good control of elongation along the warp and weft directions, but bias elongation is still very excessive.

Additionally, elongation properties of the material worsen with time as the finish of the material deteriorates.

Another disadvantage of nylon and polyester canopy materials is that their supply is limited to a small quantity of specialized fabric manufacturers.

With rapid growth in kitesurfing in recent years fabric manufacturers have had difficulty in keeping up with demand for canopy materials.

In most cases this makes the supply and export price subject to currency fluctuations.

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